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November 27, 2015

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

West Lake Museum puts up artifacts on show

THE West Lake Museum plays a role in showcasing the lake’s history and culture to the public, but it faced a unique dilemma when it completed the construction of the building 10 years ago — the antiques were far from enough.

To solve the problem, many departments of the local government tried to collect relics from citizens, who contributed hundreds of West Lake-themed antiques ranging from jade artifacts and brocade to ancient books and stone carving crafts.

Thanks to donations made by the Hangzhou citizens, the present-day museum has thousands of antiques that vividly highlight the lake’s abundant cultural essence and long history.

An exhibition is currently underway that is displaying about 300 antiques donated by local residents at the West Lake Museum. The exhibition, which marks the 10th anniversary of the museum, runs until January 10, 2016.

The exhibition is divided into six categories. The first part is mainly about antiques excavated from the Liangzhu Relic Site.

West Lake’s unique culture did not develop by itself. On the contrary, it was deeply influenced by neighboring ancient cultures, especially Liangzhu in Hangzhou’s Yuhang District.

Liangzhu was famous for its jade and ceramic-making techniques and agriculture.

At the exhibition, 12 classic Liangzhu style jade artifacts, like jade necklace and jade battle-axe, have been displayed.

The second part of the exhibition showcases antiques unearthed from West Lake. A batch of relics was unearthed during several sludge dredging projects. They fell into the lake by accident or people threw them into the lake for good luck, a custom still prevalent today.

From the Warring States Period (476-221 BC) sword and the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-770 BC) currency, to Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-960) copper dragon and Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) scissors — they are all historical records linked to the lake.

Among the other highlights at the exhibition are the many kinds of currencies that date to different dynasties.

In Shang Dynasty (1700-1100 BC), people polished shells and turned them into money, while the later Western Zhou Dynasty produced bronze currency in the shape of a bridge.

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), bronze currency was shaped like a fish. Then the shape was changed into a knife during the Warring States Period.

In addition, the displayed scissors from Song Dynasty (960-1279) to Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) reflect the city’s long history of making the tool — even today Hangzhou churns out this time-honored scissors for the brand Zhang Xiaoquan, whose products are available all over the country.

The third part embraces brocade made in Republic of China (1911-1949). During that period, Hangzhou came up with new silk weaving technology, which made it possible to weave sophisticated patterns on brocade.

Most of the exhibits came from Du Jinsheng, a time-honored brocade brand established in the 1920s. It still produces exquisite products even today. Du is not only a silk factory, but also the name of the brand founder.

Enchanted by the picturesque scenery of the West Lake, Du took the lake as subject matter for his brocade work. His delicate spinning techniques and chic patterns quickly gained fame around the city.

Though the founder was no more, his spinning techniques survived. His descendants revived the factory after the war and it continues to thrive. Today, Du Jinsheng brocade typifies the high-quality textile of Hangzhou.

The fourth part of the exhibit displays ancient books relating to West Lake. They have provided archeologists rich historical materials. They also consist of records of the museum’s many collection of antiques.

Though these ancient books were not available for visitors to thumb through, the fifth part of the exhibit, beita (碑拓), offers some details.

Beita was a common art in ancient China. Before the invention of printing technology, calligraphers engraved characters on stones and tablets. Through dynasties, many literati created beita themed on West Lake, especially those from the famous Xiling Seal Society.

The last part of the exhibition deals with daily necessities, photo albums and postcards from Republic of China and early 1950s. They provide visitors with snapshots of the city’s past.




 

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